We is moving up the food chain baby!

[MrFun]

Originally posted by David Floyd


Ummm, what now? I missed the last straight pride parade, and my straight newsletter subscription expired, so I might be a little behind here, but gay people make far more an issue of their own sexual orientation than straight people do about theirs'.

And they rightly should, I think I made that clear. I'm all for legalizing gay marriage, because not doing so IS discriminatory. I'm just saying, after we do that, would the gay community please stop trumpeting the fact that they are gay from the rooftops, and stop demanding that gays be appointed to various positions in the name of diversity? We shouldn't talk about gay, black, female, Hispanic, or whatever. We should just talk about "qualified", with the proviso that a private company should be able to hire whomever they want.

Straight people talk about their lives with others on a daily basis that discloses their sexual orientation.

And as I've said before in this thread, marriage is not the only issue - employment, adoption, housing, and other issues remain paramount.

I don't know what your beef is with gays who are open about their identity; they are open about it just as much as straight people are. The only difference is that it's less obvious with straight people as it's taken for granted as a norm, whereas every act of a gay person identifying himself is directly tied with the political and social issues of civil rights.

I look forward to the day when it's no longer an issue when gay people openly identify themselves and it becomes as typical as it is with straight people identifying themselves.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Arrian
PDA Straight or gay. What two people making out in public are highlighting is their insecurity (or drunkeness).

Anyway, Floyd's right here. As is Drake. Identity politics is tiresome.

-Arrian

I agree with you and Drake. Homophobes and conservatives need to stop dividing people by sexual orientation. Once that happens, gays identifying themselves will no longer be a big deal.

[Imran Siddiqui]

You think that two people making out in public are doing so to highlight their sexual orientation?

It really ends up being the same thing. After all, look at the reaction of many people when two guys kiss in public (when not in a 'gay' area). I can tell you for certain my parents would probably flinch. I've even heard people say that gays who engage in PDA should stop making an issue of their sexual orientation and that they support their right to be gay, but why do they have to flaunt it like that.

People also get all pissy about gay pride parades, saying that they should shut up about orientation.

[MrFun]

I think PDA is a good, healthy form of expression for anyone, regardless of sexual orientation.

[SlowwHand]

And that seems to be one of the primary differences in gay and straight relationship viewpoints. That's the point being made. It's not enough to accept that it's normal, many gays want to rub some noses in it. Not all, I said many. I find hetros who can't get a room to be just as disgusting.

[David Floyd]

MrFun,

Straight people talk about their lives with others on a daily basis that discloses their sexual orientation.

I don't care about that. I don't care about gays disclosing their sexual orientation. I'm not a "Don't Ask Don't Tell" kinda guy. But, one thing you'll never see is straight people celebrating a political appointment on the basis of a person being straight. Oh, fine, there are some idiotic fringe groups out there who make an issue of it, mostly the Christian Right (and by that I don't mean individual Christians so much as I mean the establishment - Focus on the Family, Christian Coalition, etc.), but I don't think that the point you are trying to make is that the gay community is the left wing counterpart to the Christian Right. So stop it. Reasonable people don't care what the sexual orientation of Obama's latest appointee is. We don't care if none of his appointees are gay, and we don't care if all of them are. We do care that they are qualified to do the job. So don't call for more gays in politics. Let's focus instead on more qualified people in politics.

And as I've said before in this thread, marriage is not the only issue - employment, adoption, housing, and other issues remain paramount.

As for adoption, I think that goes hand in hand with marriage - legalize one and the other follows. As for housing and employment, some people may not care to employ or rent to gays and lesbians. As long as they aren't directly funded by a government entity, my position is that we should let them. That's what freedom's all about, right? And in any case, as a gay man, do you really want an intolerant bigot as a landlord or employer, anyway? I wouldn't.

I don't know what your beef is with gays who are open about their identity; they are open about it just as much as straight people are. The only difference is that it's less obvious with straight people as it's taken for granted as a norm, whereas every act of a gay person identifying himself is directly tied with the political and social issues of civil rights.

Only because you are the one tying in their identity to politics. Look no further than the title and OP of this thread as proof.

I look forward to the day when it's no longer an issue when gay people openly identify themselves and it becomes as typical as it is with straight people identifying themselves.

I 100% agree.

Imran,

It really ends up being the same thing. After all, look at the reaction of many people when two guys kiss in public (when not in a 'gay' area). I can tell you for certain my parents would probably flinch. I've even heard people say that gays who engage in PDA should stop making an issue of their sexual orientation and that they support their right to be gay, but why do they have to flaunt it like that.

People also get all pissy about gay pride parades, saying that they should shut up about orientation.

Yes, people do get pissy about all that kind of stuff. That just makes them ignorant hypocrites. You can either oppose PDA in general, or you can support it in general, but you can't do both and remain someone worthy of listening to. That is, if you think it's fine for straight people to make out in public, but not gays, then your IQ is probably somewhere south of that of my cat.

[MrFun]

You still don't get it David. The appointments of gays and lesbians in higher offices are significant, in light of the struggle for civil rights and acceptance.

Straight people do not have to celebrate the appointments of other straight people because they are 90 percent of population and they have not faced discrimination and bashing because of their sexual orientation.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
And that seems to be one of the primary differences in gay and straight relationship viewpoints. That's the point being made. It's not enough to accept that it's normal, many gays want to rub some noses in it. Not all, I said many. I find hetros who can't get a room to be just as disgusting.

How sqeamish are you, really if you find holding hands or light kisses or holding one another in each other's arms to be too much??

[David Floyd]

You still don't get it David. The appointments of gays and lesbians in higher offices are significant, in light of the struggle for civil rights and acceptance.

If we find it significant that qualified people are appointed to major political posts, then that is a pretty major indictment of our society.

However, an even greater indictment of our society - at least in this particular case - is that rather than discussing whether or not the person in question was even qualified for his appointment, you seem more concerned about his sexual orientation.

I get it. You want people like you in positions of power. But shouldn't you be MORE CONCERNED that qualified people are in positions of power?

[Q Classic]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


We are not interested in eating gay people. We prefer to keep beef, chicken, and the sort at the top of the food chain. k thx.

Wouldn't MrFun be considered white meat?

[Q Classic]

Originally posted by David Floyd
I get it. You want people like you in positions of power. But shouldn't you be MORE CONCERNED that qualified people are in positions of power?

Indeed. Which is why I'm so proud that he picked an Asian to be the Secretary of Energy.

Next stop, SecState!

(I hear Chu won some sort of prize with a funny name (Obie?) and ran some government physics lab or something, but he's Asian. Definitely qualified for a more science-leaning position.)

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by David Floyd
However, an even greater indictment of our society - at least in this particular case - is that rather than discussing whether or not the person in question was even qualified for his appointment, you seem more concerned about his sexual orientation.

I get it. You want people like you in positions of power. But shouldn't you be MORE CONCERNED that qualified people are in positions of power?

Or rather he's happy that gay people who are qualified aren't automatically culled from the potential administration members?

[Darius871]

Originally posted by MrFun
I'll help the uneducated here out.

denigrate: to speak damagingly of; criticize in a derogatory manner; sully; defame: to denigrate someone's character. (dictionary.com)

And yet that's not the word you used...


woosh

[MrFun]

Originally posted by David Floyd


If we find it significant that qualified people are appointed to major political posts, then that is a pretty major indictment of our society.

However, an even greater indictment of our society - at least in this particular case - is that rather than discussing whether or not the person in question was even qualified for his appointment, you seem more concerned about his sexual orientation.

I get it. You want people like you in positions of power. But shouldn't you be MORE CONCERNED that qualified people are in positions of power?

Are you being deliberately obtuse?

Obviously, you should only have people who are qualified to be appointed to political offices. What is siginificant is that now gays and lesbians are being appointed because of their qualifications rather than being ignored or discriminated against.


EDIT: You see, Imran is smart; he gets it.

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by Darius871


And yet that's not the word you used...


woosh

Tap that foot, slow and steady. He'll get the beat sooner or later.